元気のシャワー (an energy shower of joy)
by tenjoume
Summary: A young girl named Akira finds herself in many blossoming relationships at Duel Academia. OCxJudaixRyo
1. The Dragon of Domino

元気のシャワー (an energy shower of joy)  
 _Rated M  
A romantic drama b_ _ased on the 2004 Studio Gallop anime series "Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters GX" and a "Promise of a Lifetime"._

A/N: Judai Yuki, Kaiser Ryo and even Duel Academia isn't featured in the prologue.  
Feel free to skip ahead if you don't need any introduction and wanna see the MC's.  
Please enjoy!

 **Chapter 1**

 **The Dragon of Domino**

 **x**

* * *

 **x**

A young, black-haired girl with a half zipped up sweater coat and nice black leggings sat in the back seat behind the driver, her head perched on the headrest.

Akira felt both a mixture of nervousness and fatigue, having to wake up early today, and deal with meeting a man she's been a fan of since she was a little girl. She would have to adjust to a school's scheduling again if things go well, so at the very least, she thought she was off to a good start with her getting back to actually waking up in the morning like a normal person.

The pale-haired driver offered to buy her some breakfast on the ride there but she turned it down. The car they were in was very old-fashioned; a junker basically, though it was kept maintained and uncluttered. The two colleagues conversed about their friends, and of what they've been up to. She overheard some bits about how a friend of theirs joined the armed forces, and how another is a recurring semi-finalist in duel tournaments, and is participating in west division pro league invitationals.

Anzu wore a yellow crop top and pink short-shorts. She was one of those fashionable types, with a lot of confidence in her look. Given her career as a successful choreographer and professional dancer, having an attractive allure to both men and women, as well as stage presence is naturally optimal for her.

The pleasant boy with white, unkempt hair politely nodded at her in the rear-view mirror. "Morning."

She had dozed off almost a minute after getting into the car.

"Hi!" Akira simpered, feeling on guard. She was a bit of a mess this morning, so she felt a bit embarrassed. He didn't seem to pay much attention though. Akira didn't know much about him, only that he was a friend of Mazaki's. He was quite the looker, but he's dressed very modestly in comparison to his friend. "Thanks for driving us this early," Akira said, giving her eye a small rub with her sleeve.

Bakura beamed brightly. "No no, it's my pleasure." He had a gentle angel-like disposition, with a voice as soft as a feather's.

Akira covered her mouth and let out a yawn.

"Didn't get much sleep, did you?" Mazaki said.

She frowned and moodily turned towards the window. Akira isn't used to getting up this early. Her sleeping late sure didn't help, but those old habits are too hard to kill. A window reflection made Akira ashamed, but she's cute in the eyes of most everyone. There's only one person who might disagree. Herself. The same could be said for just about every girl at her vulnerable age.

For some reason, her pushy senpai had picked her to baby solely out of impulse. The two met at Akira's workplace when Anzu spotted her dueling in the outside eating tables after her shift was finished at a fast food chain. Anzu had apparently been visiting while on leave from work in America, and once worked as a waitress there. Mazaki wanted to see how some of her colleagues were doing. A ton of Akira's close co-workers had a lot of trust in Anzu. Even after she left their work, they still remember her fondly.

Akira didn't register to get on the school waitlist beforehand, she wasn't even originally planning on enrolling in the first place. But Anzu Mazaki claimed she could pull some strings for her. The former waitress seemed to take an interest in the girl after seeing some untapped potential.

The idea of getting into that highly recognized school with a free pass was too tempting to pass up.

Although, Mazaki made it very clear that she wasn't a fan of Akira's ulterior motives during a duel.

"Seeing a young duelist like you really brings me back to my high school days," Anzu reminisced. This girl was pretty full of herself, "I used to be pretty popular when I was your age, you know. Had so many guys ask me out. Bakura here can vouch!"

He smiled softly, keeping his eyes on the road. "Right, right."

"Wow, so you were a duelist before becoming a dancer, Mazaki-san?" Akira asked.

"Eh?" She blinked. "Um, on the side yeah…"

"When you think about it, your track record is pretty spotless," Bakura said. "I mean technically, you did compete and win against the likes of Jonouchi-kun and Kujaku-san."

Akira recognized those big names and exclaimed, "You went one-on-one against them and won?!" Anzu just went way up on the admiration scale. She is a lot more experienced with the game than she lets on.

Her senpai gave an uneasy thumbs up and spoke in some half-broken english, " _No prablem_!"

"Here we are," Bakura announced.

The high tower loomed ahead, with a plate-like penthouse over on top that was shaped like the prototype duel discs never released to the general public. The sight of it was breathtaking. The magnificent KaibaCorp tower, headquarters to one of the most powerful conglomerates in the entire world.

Duel Academia is in the southern region of Japan, and a pretty hard institution to get into for your average schmuck, especially if you don't have the proper background. This might be her one shot at getting in.

 **x**

* * *

 **x**

As soon as they entered the building through the front door, they were met by a man with a mustache and sunglasses who lead them to an elevator, introducing himself as their escort. Anzu accompanied her while Bakura stayed behind in the back parking lot, wishing her luck.

They went 30 floors up to the Chairman's office, going through a brief hallway section until coming to a brown, open door as any business with an open door policy should have.

In this medium-sized private office, there was a huge window that overlooked the entire city landscape. The only things of note in this room was the flat-screen television attached to the walls, a couch, a plant as tall as a full-grown boy, and a closed laptop laying flat on a grey desk.

A man sat in a black leather chair.

Seto Kaiba.

He was quite stern in appearance, and as handsome as a man could get.

Anzu reminded him, "You still owe me a favor for bringing you for a fun night out rather than being cooped up in that office of yours. You have always been such a workaholic."

"I never asked for that," He denied adamantly.

Listening in, Akira could tell Anzu was pretty familiar with him, even teasing him a bit while introducing Akira. Akira may not know either of them personally, but she could read that there's a lot of history between these two.

Anzu winked at Akira. "You should see this guy dance, he isn't actually half-bad!"

"Enough," The CEO told Anzu. "Akira, that's how you prefer being called correct?"

"Yes sir, just Akira will do." Most people can say their last name with pride, but she gets made fun of for her weird last name both for its out the ordinary meaning and its rather odd pronunciation, so much to the point that she even started to hate it. The day she gets married is the day she can finally be rid of it.

Akira felt like this man was looking right through her. His piercing eyes studied her, and it was almost as if he was carefully examining the fine print of a contract. At first taken aback, the young girl tried to put on a strong, defiant expression, and looked him right in his cool, blue eyes. At job interviews, it's important to keep eye contact, and it sure damn felt like she was going through one right now. He briefly went back to look over some stapled paperwork detailing her profile.

"Something wrong? You haven't said much since coming in here." Kaiba wanted a bit more from the girl herself before coming to a decision.

"Nothing! Nothing at all." Akira moved her hands as if she was blocking him from ogling. 'Nothing' is what she brought to the table, as far as he was concerned.

Having to meet one of your childhood idols got Akira a bit nervous. He's one of the reasons she realized her love for dueling. To be in his presence was almost overbearing, especially when his focus is completely on her, and her alone.

"A bit on the shy side, but isn't she adorable?" Anzu smiled.

The man didn't seem impressed.

"Your deck, would you mind if I take a quick look?"

She immediately took it out from her leg strap. A common thing people to believe is, to get a good grip on a person's true nature, one should simply look at what's in their deck. Of course, dueling them is an even better way.

His disinterest soon turned into intrigue once the young girl brought out her deck. She set her deck on the table for him to look at. He went through them, being careful not to bend or disrespect the cards. There was a gleam in his eye, and for a small moment the girl could have sworn she saw a flicker of amusement on his usual stoic face.

"Why did you decide on a dragon deck specifically?"

"When I was just a kid, I always thought they were super cool...!" She realized she might have given a pretty pathetic answer, and yet, Kaiba didn't seem to see that as an unreasonable answer.

"Good stuff, you might get a free pass," Anzu whispered in her ear. "Kaiba-kun has a soft spot for dragons."

"Cloudian Smoke Ball?" Kaiba grimaced.

"Oh, um. That's a card I've had since childhood." She knew it would kind of disrupt the theme of the deck, but she kept it in anyway. In fact, a lot of cards in her deck are just purely out of sentiment, rather than out of some coherent structure or gaining some tactical edge, as the majority of duelists would.

"Hm." A man as methodical as he is, probably didn't understand. He returned her deck, placing it on the table. "I've come to a decision. You may enroll into Duel Academia."

"Oh! Thank you sir!" Akira exclaimed brightly.

"On one condition."

He took out a silver suitcase from behind his desk and set it on the table, opening it up for her to see. Inside it, there were fat bundles of cash, all lined up neatly in rows.

Anzu's mouth gaped half open. "What the...?"

"That's ¥500,000 in total," Kaiba smirked. "I want you to have it to pay for tuition fees, course reading materials, and any outstanding debts you might owe presently."

Akira felt just as shocked as she was suspicious. A man like him would gain nothing from this. Even if the costs of enrolling is a high price, it's not an amount as crazy as that. There had be some kind of catch.

"In return, you'll be working for me. I don't like to give special treatment though, so you have to pay me every penny back, with interest. And you will also have to meet a monthly quota so I know you're not wasting my time. At the end of your second year, I'm expecting double of what you've been given." ¥500,000 is entrusted to Akira, meaning she owes him a staggering total of ¥1,000,000.

"That's insane!" Anzu objected immediately.

"Take it or leave it. I don't think the girl is in any position to bargain given her situation. I'm not a selfless man that gives out free handouts, see. _My world_ doesn't revolve around you. I am a businessman first, which means that I only make deals that are a sure benefit to my company."

Mazaki put a hand on her hip. "This is how you show your gratitude? Outright blackmailing my kouhai? Money barely has a thing to do with dueling, Kaiba."

"I already told you, I never asked you to take me out 'clubbing'." He said coldly, not taking his eyes off of Akira. "Besides, we're conducting business. If I'm going to do her this favor, then she has to prove she's worth my resources and time. Are you passionate about duel monsters, Akira-san?"

"Of course," She said.

"Enough to the point where you'd give anything to be one of the best?"

With not even a second of hesitation, she answered, "Everything."

Akira was in over her head for sure but, she felt a surge of hunger wash over her. Like this was the crossroads between greatness and mediocrity. The doubts in her mind were mostly fading after realizing a master duelist like Anzu Mazaki had seen potential in her.

"You heard her loud and clear, Mazaki. We'll be doing a quick criminal record check. We'll be needing details on your bank account. After all, you're on KaibaCorp payroll now." For a moment, Anzu gave a look of unease. "Fill out the paperwork my associate Isono will provide for you. Any final words before we part?"

The student body is comprised of three dorms, each segregated according to their skill, so they say. "If possible sir, I'd like to get into Osiris Red," Akira said.

Kaiba raised a brow. "For what? If you're not aiming for the top of the class, there's no point in being here."

"I want to work my way by starting at the very bottom. No shortcuts involved." A half-truth, but still better than an outright lie. Those that start out like that tend to believe they hit their skill ceiling and are at the top of their game, and delude themselves all up until pro leagues where they flop miserably in front of the world.

He seemed like he took that as an acceptable answer. "Fine."

"I have one last request, Kaiba-san. A little thing to revise on our contract." Akira smirked. "If you want your all the money back, then you have to _beat me_ in a duel for it."

"Hooh..." The little girl actually wanted to play hard ball.

Kaiba seemed surprised, but his pride disallowed him from shutting down such an absurd idea.

"Done," He agreed. "I'll be checking in on you now and then to make sure you're holding up your end of the bargain. Don't go and disappoint me." He grinned as if he was enjoying himself, "To demonstrate your talents, you, like every other student, will have to pass a written exam and duel a proctor, and you won't just be going against your average examiner. You'll be facing an opponent of my choosing. If you lose your entry examination duel or fail to make deadlines, you become my property."

She returned his firm handshake to let him know she meant business. In a sense, this might be part of the test to see what she does in the face of adversity. A lot was riding on this. Akira felt a tingle in her veins, and her stomach fluttered as if it were full of butterflies. From this point forward, it'll be a fight for her life.

Hopefully she passed his little evaluation with flying colors. But here she was only talking the talk. When the time comes, Akira will have to back up those words with action.

When you make a deal with the devil, they say there's no way out.

 _But, I can think of at least one..._

x

* * *

x

A whole day's passed since the deal had been finalized.

Duel Academia rents out a venue for entry examinations, but since Akira was part of the late batch, she would have to take hers on the island itself since there aren't any teachers or examiners left in the mainland. Plus, classes have been in session for about a week now, so she needed to get caught up from being behind on school work. Despite not saying it outright, it seemed like Kaiba had some faith in her. Call it a businessman's intuition. If it's any consolation, Kaiba ensured Mazaki he would have a hand in giving her cute kouhai some advice when it comes to making a profit.

Anzu tried to get an explanation out of him on the phone. All he could say was that there was a status quo at the school he wanted rid of and having an insider acting as his creature would be good for keeping tabs on a few select individuals. Kaiba has always been a discreet guy. His decisions continue to baffle Anzu, even to this day. Mazaki was uncertain a girl like Akira was capable of such a feat. A pre-teen Kaiba may have proven an accomplished businessman, but he's considered a genius.

Anzu once again had her old friend Bakura drive the young girl to the helipad where she would be transported to the academy. She helped carry her bags, but she took the lighter load. Bakura carried the majority on his back, and was struggling to pull all that luggage on his own. But luckily for him, they were intercepted by a few KC employees and they took some things off his hands after nearly falling over with a fish tank in his hands.

Anzu, Akira, and Bakura followed some men in suits up to a helipad. On the metal bridge, the rolling of all her heavy luggages made the entire base of the construct shake. It was still bright out, but it was getting a bit cloudy. Akira actually preferred this kind of weather.

The men loaded Akira's things onto the chopper while they waited.

"So you really need to bring all that with you?" Bakura asked. There was nearly ten packages of luggage, not to mention a fish tank that contained her pet named Ray. It took all three of them and two round trips to load all that into the car. The cute guy put his hand on his back as if he had back problems.

"Of course. All a girl's essential necessities are in there."

"Even those action figure things?" Anzu asked.

"Yes!"

Bakura noticed the KaibaCorp logo plastered on the chopper's tail. "To think he's having her work for him...that Kaiba is still as ruthless as ever. Even in the face of a teenaged girl, he refuses to let up," He said, almost sounding bitter.

If she doesn't face adversity on her own, then she shouldn't be considered worthy to even be in Duel Academia. Akira believed that is what Seto Kaiba was trying to tell her. Anzu didn't want to be held responsible for causing her kouhai to go in debt. An ordinary girl like her with such a harsh stipulation was unfair. Anzu offered her help, but Akira turned it down, citing that _the prettiest of diamonds are made under pressure_.

Anzu told them, "Don't worry, I chewed him out for it." Akira already knew, she said she could hear Anzu barking a lecture at him even two rooms away while she had her school ID picture taken. "Really. He can be so unbelievable."

"Has he always been that... dramatic?" Akira asked.

"He may not look like it, but Kaiba's just a kid deep down," She said. "He can get really over the top when he's into it. The guy is extremely competitive, even when it comes to things outside the realm of duel monsters."

"Really?" Akira has seen him get really theatrical during pro duels aired on TV, but she figured he was just trying to give viewers at home a show.

"I see it like this. Kaiba-kun is sort of like a flip effect card, you need to get in close and risk making mistakes to reveal what he's really like."

"Mazaki-san! That is so deep!" Akira said, eyes glistening with admiration. "You're a dancer, a duelist… and a poet too!"

"Heh heh." Anzu rubbed her upper lip, feeling quite proud of that analogy. "I know this is a strange thing to ask but, while I'm gone, it'll be up to you to keep Kaiba company. He's a lonely soul, that guy."

Akira could relate to him and admired him, but she barely knew him enough to warrant a visit. "I'll do my best, I guess?" From the way they spoke earlier, he really didn't seem to be the warm, outgoing type either.

"Attagirl!"

"Oh, before you go- I've a farewell gift." Bakura gently presented her with a spell card.

"Hey w-wait, I wanna help too!" Anzu went through her purse in a jiffy.

"Whoa, are you sure about this?" Akira didn't want to rob him of such a rare card.

"I used to be big on games once upon a time, but life doesn't always pan out the way one expects. I've had a fair share of painful memories associated with duel monsters, so I don't play often. Felt a bit of a waste if my card won't see any action with me as its owner, so I figured it could be of some use to you," Bakura said.

"Thank you so much." The card's artwork was beautiful, but at the same time sort of eerie. A blonde girl, half-angel, and half-demon... To just go and give it away seemed a bit strange, so Akira couldn't help but wonder more about it. "Do you have regrets about duel monsters, Bakura-kun?"

He shook his head. "While I have do have some contrition looking back, it does bring up some memories that are precious to me as well." The boy looked out to the sky's horizon for a moment with a mixed look of nostalgia and misgivings.

Akira hoped she wouldn't have any regrets as he did when all was said and done. "Then I take it you're not a big fan of games in general."

"Oh no no, I love games! But If I had to choose, I tend to enjoy role-playing tabletops most."

Most duelists never step out their comfort zone to ever try something like that. "I'll have to try it sometime."

"You should!" He implored her enthusiastically. "In a game, especially for this type, it really is like a completely different side of you comes out."

"Ta-da! Check this out!" Anzu interrupted. "I don't play much, so I think this little guy will be happy to get a new owner. Here, take this with you. Shining Friendship! One of the most powerful cards in duel monsters."

Akira looked at its attack strength. "Uh, thanks..."

"Maybe at Burger World you were the best duelist, but at Duel Academia, you'll be a little fish in a big pond." The majority of students come from an age group collectively referred to as Generation X. In a way, they're a spoiled generation full of egos that talk a lot of trash. But no one can deny their raw talent at the game. "In an environment like that, you'll need the right attitude and mindset so you stick out above the rest!" Anzu told her. "Let's see your war face."

"My what?"

"To show your tenacity and confidence! In a duel, you need to intimidate your opponent, right?" Anzu insisted further, "Go on and try it! It's good to practice!"

Taken aback, Akira decided to indulge her, gritting her teeth like some feral dog. "Rrr!?"

Bakura giggled.

"That's the ticket, Akira-chan! You have to be tough to survive out there!" Anzu praised her. "Oi! Bakura, set a good example too."

"Eh?" The boy then attempted to look intimidating as well, trying to do a menacing scowl, but instead he looked more like he was shivering from cold, shaking his fists with fury.

"C'mon! You can do better than that!" Mazaki chided him.

"Grr. I'm steaming mad." He ranted halfheartedly.

"We're tight on our schedule!" Isono called Akira from the helipad. "Miss, it's time to be boarded!"

"Better be getting a move on." Akira bowed her head. "Thanks for everything, you guys."

Anzu shouted after her, "All my friends are busy and gone now, but the memory of them still give me strength! Put yourself over there! Make sure you make friends that will stick by you through thick and thin! And be in touch!"

"I'll try!" She waved goodbye and followed Isono into the cockpit of the KC helicopter.

As the blades began to pick up speed and propel them into the air, for some reason Bakura was reminded of a tale told by his late father. An old chinese legend of the koi jumping up a waterfall. It's through determination and perseverance that the small carp evolves into a legendary dragon. He's looking forward to seeing her growth.

 **x**

* * *

 **x**

 **Next: King of Heroes**

~Table of Contents~

Chapter 1: "Dragon of Domino"  
Chapter 2: "King of Heroes"  
Chapter 3: T B D  
Chapter 4: T B D  
Chapter 5: T B D  
Chapter 6: T B D  
Chapter 7: T B D  
Chapter 8: T B D

A/N: Yeah, I know...  
This is one strange place to be putting a table of contents.  
It had to be done though. Thank you so much for reading!


	2. The King of Heroes

元気のシャワー (an energy shower of joy)

 **Chapter 2**

 **King of Heroes**

 **x**

* * *

 **x**

It was pretty stuffy in the room with an utterly useless A/C and there was the clattering and clinking of dishes coming from the backroom. Those in charge of cleanup were going about their duties after a rather filling meal at the Osiris Red dining area. The food was on the plain side, but there was at least one person in here that had a love for the stuff.

Judai could hear the faint cry emit from a card he was given. He sat on a chair, enjoying his free time. None of the seats even had backrests, these stools seemed to be built in the most basic method possible. All the furniture here looked like it was made out of the cheap wood straight out of the woodwork classes.

Judai had just finished his supper in the dining hall, a crowded little space with wooden tables and chairs. Some people called this place a dump, but for Yuki Judai, it was home sweet home. There were a few educational posters depicting a few card game basics on the walls that no one ever pays any mind to. The room smells of cigarettes and booze, which was clearly against school regulations, but no one cared enough to report it.

The boy exhaled, refreshed after chugging down his delicious tap water. His friend Sho was hard to work in the seat next to him, trying to skim through the material they went over in class. The whole studying thing wasn't really up his alley.

Osiris Dorm had one outlandish membership, with each kid being intriguing, at the very least. Some guy that was rooms away cranked the volume up on his stereo, loud enough that Judai was able to hear the music from his own bathroom. Another person had bandages from head to toe, and everyone was too afraid to ask how he even eats his food. It was a bit smoky in here as well, due to the fumes coming from the chainsmokers. The dorm's known for having rulebreakers, some had even been suspended once, or demoted from other dorms as a punishment.

A mere Osiris Red freshman beating the experienced professor of Obelisk Blue really gave those far down the rankings some slight bit of hope about going places one day. Their established notion of a duelist's worth was being broken down because of him. His personality might not sit well with a few, and the entire Red dorm definitely had an intimidating atmosphere, but Judai's been treated with respect in his dorm.

The front door slammed open, but not many seemed to take notice or really care.

A female teacher entered. Midori Hibiki was her name, a black-haired woman with a diluted teacher's uniform. She scanned the room before immediately coming towards Judai with another girl a few years younger trailing behind her as well.

The girl the teacher was with wore a gray turtleneck. Judai focused on her movements into the room and watched her blend in very naturally, trying not to draw any attention to herself. She was a slim, raven-haired teenage girl, rating pretty high on the cute scale.

Just as the girl noticed he was looking at her, his sensei stood in the way. "Yo. I'm glad at least one of you is hard at work," The woman put a plastic case on their table. "I have some leftover curry a teacher made for the meet n' greet. Eat it." She promised his parents and her own brother she'd look after him.

"Nah, I'm stuffed. I'll be fine," Judai said, patting his belly.

"Sheesh." Hibiki looked at him with disappointment. "I remember a child prodigy used to be enrolled here. He had so much potential, but it was squandered cause of his own laziness. Try to study once a week, at least. Know how much flak I get from Cronos about how undisciplined you are? Dude, everyday ends with me needing a dose of pepto-bismol. My plunger's on _fire_ , Judai. And you're to blame."

"Way too much information, Hibiki-san."

"That's _sensei_ now, remember?" His teacher corrected him firmly.

Sho didn't really know what to make of the pair. As the Osiris faculty head Daitokuji has taken a leave of absence for reasons undisclosed, this woman was in charge of them for the time being. She was way too comfortable and over familiar with Judai, which might have seeped in to how Judai acts around others as well.

Judai didn't particularly enjoy being babied by this girl or being patronized but she also one of the people he wanted to impress most, as he owed a lot to her. When it comes to Hibiki, it's personal. "Hey, once you check me out during a duel, you'll know I won't need anymore handouts."

The woman made a pitying face. "You've more guts than brains, runt. Don't get too cocky, I've spanked that plenty of times back when I babysat you. Now I just do it in a dueling sense." Sho held in a snicker with that image in mind.

Judai felt like his pride took a small hit, now that his friend knew a small part about his dark past. "Yeah? How about we go right now then?" He looked up to her, eager to prove he could handle himself.

"Eh?!" She grabbed him by his ear and pulled on it. "This is how you repay me for sticking my neck out for you? I've known you since you've been in diapers!"

He whelped in pain. "What does that have to do with anything?!"

Sho nearly fell over from all the commotion, with Judai trying to get the pushy woman off him.

"Ah! I just remembered, I came here to introduce a new transfer student." As if she had just forgotten the past minute, she let go of Yuki and started pounding on the table to get everyone's attention. " **Oi! Fresh meat, boys!** " She announced. Her authoritative, gang leader-like voice had the floor. Hibiki motioned for the girl to come closer. "Come on now, don't be shy! None of them bite!"

Judai always felt a surge of excitement prior to witnessing the debut of a new person in his life.

"Hello...! Hi..." She said, waving meekly at her potential flatmates. "My name is Akira, please treat me well." The girl was bit stiff in her delivery, possibly from being so nervous. No one liked standing out, not in an embarrassing way like this.

Transfer students usually didn't speak Japanese this fluently. The Red Dorm is usually where foreign exchange students entered since they paid extra, and the tuition fees are much lower for Osiris Reds. There has been several women in the past that were Osiris Reds, however that was only due to them being transfer students, and those persons would almost immediately be moved to Obelisk Blue. For the third-years present, this was nothing new.

Someone in the back whistled in a way usually reserved for a call girl. Others eyed her up. The guys meant no harm for the most part, but a newcomer wouldn't know that.

"She needs a room to stay." Hibiki-sensei then asked, "Any takers?"

Judai knew for sure the entire building had been booked up, there wasn't a single vacant bed available for use. But the girl didn't know that, so she'd probably take it the wrong way. Plus, having a girl in the same room as so many dudes could get weird. There were some hushed whispers and murmuring while the docile girl's eyes gravitated towards her own feet.

"I call dibs!" Judai raised his hand and ended the radio silence. "You can be with us!"

A few rowdy guys laughed and made suggestive faces. An unsure Akira looked to Hibiki-sensei. "Alright, I'll leave it to you then! Her stuff's all waiting outside, help her unpack and show her around, will ya? I'm gonna get some shuteye." The teacher seemed to be content enough, and left it at that, and had a few words with Akira that he couldn't make out.

"Hayato-kun isn't going to be happy about this," Sho said worriedly.

"Relaax. Girls are just like us guys 'cept they pee a little different." Judai reassured him.

"Bro, I'm not talking about that! We only have three mattresses remember?"

"It'll work out, trust me." He didn't sweat the small stuff. The new girl came towards them, unsmiling. "Hey pal, we saved you a seat." It was more like no one else wanted to sit with them but that didn't sound as nice.

She took the chair across from them, fiddling with her sleeves. "Um, thanks?"

Marufuji glanced at her every so often, but couldn't think of a way to cut in and strike up a conversation. He hid behind a textbook about 'stalling' cards.

She missed the introductory icebreakers on the first day that Hibiki-sensei had setup, and it's hard for a new kid to make new friends. Judai was curious about her. It was more a blessing than a curse she's late to the party though, since those activities, especially the little known fact one where you talk about yourself got kinda embarrassing, and then took a rather odd turn in a strange, sexual way during the team building game.

"I'm Judai Yuki. I'd like to be the first on behalf of our school to welcome you to Osiris Red."

"I'm Akira, Yuki-?" The girl misspoke and repeated what she heard prior. "It's a huge honor to be here."

"Sorry about Hibiki-sensei dropping you off in here and throwing you to the wolves like that," Judai apologized on her behalf. The teacher wasn't reluctant at all about leaving a vulnerable girl alone with him, although she did know him well enough to trust him. "She can be a little rough around the edges, but she cares deep down."

"Oh no, she was good to me! All this," She said twirling her finger while keeping eye contact, "just feels a bit overwhelming, is all."

Must be about being put into Osiris Red. He could still remember the angst from Sho on their first day. "Look on the bright side! We get two free meals a day, and a bright future ahead of us." He could see she wasn't too excited about the current arrangement. "By the way, we got leftover curry if you're hungry." He slid the rice over to her side of the table to show some hospitality. "Microwave's in the backroom."

"It's all right," She rejected it flatly.

"Right! Curry stinks!" Judai agreed enthusiastically and quickly pulled the container back to his side, and kept note to himself to fridge it. "Hey, if you have any qualms about being here, just remember we're all here for the same reason. And that's to be the best we can be."

It was a bit out of nowhere that he was trying to give her some pep talk, but she seemed to take his words to heart.

"That's r-right!" Sho tried to get in on the action as well to help out. Akira and Judai simultaneously turned in confusion. "I get low scores on everything, even my japanese is bad," Marufuji bellowed sadly, "but I will continue fighting on with my big bro because that's what we're here for!"

"Pfft... He calls you big bro?" Akira's nerves eased up being around such goobers. "Are you sworn brothers or something like that? How long have you known each other?"

Judai scratched the back of his head and used his free hand to count. "A few days, give or take."

"I see." She rested her cheekbone on her hand. "And who might you be?"

"You wanna know who we are?" He misinterpreted her question. "We... We are men!" Sho went on.

"I can see that," Akira had no other choice but to agree with his declarative statement.

"We are the men of Osiris Red and we give it our all! We fight! HANG TOUGH!" His war cries didn't sound as cool as it probably did in his head.

"Yeaah!" Some intoxicated third year behind Judai let out a muffled roar with his chin flat on the floor from collapsing, raising his drink to Sho's cries.

"Might sound a little cheesy, but we're all in this together Akira-chan," Judai reiterated what his friend was trying to say to the new girl, already used to these little wild tangents Sho would start when things got emotional or hit too close to home. "We've got your back. No strings attached."

The girl seemed relieved in some sense of the word, although she seemed to be mostly bewildered at how odd her new neighbors were.

Akira offered him her hand, "I'll be in your care then, _big bro_. I hope we can be the best of friends!"

The two shook on it. That bright smile of hers finally showed itself, and it was one as gentle as it was kind. He felt a strange thumping from his chest. It, for sure, had to be one of the most pretty sights he's gotten in quite awhile.

 **x**

* * *

 **x**

Her first day on the island isn't at all what she expected. Her new friend comes on a little too strong, but she appreciated the effort. She was afraid of opening up to him, but he seemed to be the trustworthy type. A bit of an anomaly since they act like family with one another when they had met just a week prior. Akira had to wonder if the guys from Obelisk and Ra were this friendly.

To get into their room requires a key, but only three were made for each room. Akira figured she could just call one of them to let her in on their student PDAs if she needed to get in. It wasn't really a big deal. Judai Yuki and Sho Marufuji accompanied her outside to help her bring her things into their room.

"Yuki-kun? Are you really sure about this?" The girl hated being a bother, and was afraid she wasn't wanted. "I can do it myself."

"Hey, we're roommates now." Judai grunted, lifting an overstuffed, cube package with both hands. "From now on you're part of my extended family, way I see it." There was so much inside, she needed to tape the top side up so it would stay in.

It was so overwhelming, having to call this island home. Most of the island is made up of forestry, with a few empty lots here and there. It's a big hassle to even get to class because the Osiris dorm was so far out to the northwest side of the island, which could explain why some would be late to class.

"What do you even have in here?" Judai asked with a pained look. "This stuff's heavy!" Most of her stuff was fragile and in mint condition, but that box is full of art books.

"And we're still a ways to go," She said, keeping an eye on the regular cab truck Hibiki brought her here with. Sho nearly tripped going up the stairs, toppling backward and just barely stopping himself from letting the luggage he had make a fall. The girl panicked, "Please be gentle-! That's my life's pride and joy right there!"

Her student PDA started vibrating in her pocket, yet no one had messaged her or called.

"So you gonna show me your deck later or what?" Judai asked her.

"I'm sorry~! When I duel a guy seriously, I don't want him knowing what I can do!"

He seemed bummed out but had to hand it to her, "Smart..."

Her PDA shook again. It's the signal, she remembered. A shortly-worded email from a sender that didn't exist let her know how this would go down. It's just how they do things as a whole, you can't see them, but they can see you.

She looked left and right, scanning the area carefully, and then again. Within the darkness of the trees not far from their dormitory, she could just barely see the figure standing out there in the wilderness, watching them ominously like some scarecrow.

"Be right back!" Akira told them and ran off before they could say anything.

Akira left them and went down a lonely, open path towards the shadows. It was so quiet out here, to the point where she could hear the faint sound of crashing waves from the docksides. There's nothing really out here the could serve as a light source, save for the stars and moon.

The walk to the forest took about a minute, not nearly enough time for her to come up with a good opener, so she decided to wing it and just act casual.

As she approached the hooded man, she made sure she was careful in going down a small slope with several roots sticking out that could make her fall. She asked him, "Is this how it usually goes down for the newcomers? A nice, fancy meeting in the middle of the woods?" Akira tried to be friendly.

Must be an old-fashioned guy. The black cloak he's wearing is a pretty dated tradition, the garb was more of a formality.

His eyes narrowed and the cloaked man towered over her. She could barely make out his face, but from what she could see, it had strange markings printed on one-half. He didn't seem the joking type and was supposedly one of the ring leaders of a group of smugglers and assassins that worked underground. It was part of her get rich quick scheme to align with these fellas. To the general public and the press, the crime rings are commonly referred to as the 'Gallu', another word for demon.

"There will be a delay on the duel disk mods you've requested." His voice was deep and intimidating.

"Hey, it's cool. I don't mind the wait-,"

Akira gasped as the large man lunged at her throat, effortlessly raising her into the air with a single arm. The girl tried to struggle, but it did her no good.

His hand had an iron grip around her neck. "Awfully casual for someone that's turned their back on us in the past. You're known for your cheap parlor tricks and small time scams, but do you know what rare hunters are also known for? We're known for _crippling_ people. Mess with me, and I will make a cripple out of you."

As soon as he let go, she fell hard right onto her knees, gagging.

"Our goals may align with yours, but we expect to be respected. Our membership offer may still stand, but your prior refusal and discourteous manner is sickening." He spoke slow and precise to get the message across. "Let me tell you something. If you intend on surviving long, listening to my advice is the ideal start."

Still gasping and wheezing for air, her vision became a bit blurry. All that for simply forgetting to take a few seconds to bow, she thought. Even though they're criminals, they sure were big on discipline. "I-I mean, I was the one invited, so I figured I'm already what you were looking for..."

"Ah, yes. An invite more than a year old now, if I recall. Do you think impressing one dimwitted hunter at the bottom of the pecking order somehow makes you special?"

With light tremors running along her body, she got down on her hands and knees, putting her forehead in the ground. "Please sir, allow me to join the rare hunters. Please." Drastic times calls for drastic measures. Her breath still remained raspy from the earlier choking. The girl knows her future is at stake here, and was willing to cast aside her shame and plead.

The man must feel real big, doing this to a girl two-thirds his height. He ripped off a few branches of a large stem while talking, "We'll have an assignment for you in due time which will serve as your initiation. Take this."

Akira looked up, and some bit of dirt spilled off her face. It was a pager, and a strange little charm he handed over. Having them messaging her on her PDA probably would leave loose ends should things ever go wrong. "If the first two digits read 99 on the pager, meet me at this tree. The other digits will dictate the approximate time we'll meet. If it reads 99-01 then it's a bust; lay low, destroy your pager, then throw it out to sea."

"Yes sir." She was afraid of asking any questions that the easily tempered man would find stupid.

The other object he had given her was a necklace. More specifically, a cross. He explained, "That symbol will let the other hunters know who you are." His cloak billowed out as he turned from her. "Consider what happens to those that fail us." Almost as if he was blending in with the night, he disappeared deep into the forest.

Akira felt weak and stumbled from not having a sure footing. She rested against a tree, coughing hysterically as her body quivered.

She remembered her exact thoughts after seeing a hunter that had been excommunicated.

 _"What's a duelist without his fingers?"_

The sight of broken men like that, she would have to get used to it. The girl was desperate enough to partake in some shady stuff in order to keep her end of the bargain. Even if she has to exploit others, she would do it. But at this point, she started feeling some sinking feeling in the pits of her stomach.

 **x**

* * *

 **x**

It was a regular room with a three mattress bunk bed. There were so many boxes that needed unpacking and their room was incredibly cramped as a result. It's been a long day, she'd get around to unpacking her things eventually, but right now she wanted to kick back and relax.

Akira made sure to do a few headcounts to make sure all her bags were here. The people here might be nice, but she wasn't about to have her valuables get taken and not do a thing about it.

The tour around the dorm was fairly short but she got the concept of how their daily lives would work. Out from their small laundry room, they brought out her female Osiris Red uniform Hibiki-sensei had prepared for her. She took a second to admire it earlier, and laid it out neatly on the floor so it would be ready for her in the morning. There was only the one, so keeping that uniform clean would be important if she wanted to come to class not looking like a fool.

Judai and Akira had changed into their nightwear, some simple black t shirts and shorts. Judai was pretty surprised she didn't spend that long in the restroom. She's always had a talent at speed, though more so in the mental than the physical. Might be a reason she felt at home working in the fast food industry to some degree.

She noticed a big lump on the top bunk, but she dared not wake a person from their slumber and make yet another bad first impression.

Judai showed her a few of his cards to kill time. They were a little cheesy, but she could kinda dig it. But you can stop a hero, and **no one** messes with seven foot tall dragons that shoots laser beams at your face. The whole hero thing, even from a young age, she noticed people like that had a tendency to die young and usually in a tragic fashion. It was a fool's ideal. As a girl that's gone through hard times, she began to view the world in a more cynical way. Hence how she became somewhat of a con artist for some extra cash. Nothing really illegal, of course...but not any astounding feats one can exactly go around bragging about.

There are theories being tossed around about the true nature of the game. After all, these duels are even designed to punish the human body. Back then, during the archaic ages according to the ESCE, a variation of Duel Monsters called Shadow Games were played to determine who lives and who dies. Odds are, the most evil and ruthless would've crushed any would-be heroes back then.

Not that she had anything against heroes, but playing hero will get you hurt. Or worse, get you killed. The tale of the Farmer and the Viper for instance, left enough of an impact to give her the impression that heroes are far too idealistic to ever win.

The two hunched over a desk right next to where they placed the fish tank, with Judai flipping over a face down card. Elemental Hero Wildman. "Big?" Judai gave her a thumbs up, nodding frantically. Then he showed her Burstlady. "Hot?" Akira shrugged, cracking a smile from how silly this was.

"What're you two doing?" Sho asked in an almost concerned tone, done with his bath. His hair was still wet so he was still trying to dry the blue mass with a towel.

"A word association game," Judai explained. "It apparently tells a lot about a person."

Marufuji studied her, adjusting his glasses that were still wet from being fogged up from the steam. "What happened out there? I heard some bad coughing in the bathroom. Even found a bit of blood on the counter."

"Uh, it's my time of the month?" Akira came up with that logical explanation on the fly. If the guys knew who she really was, she'd definitely be hated. She knew she would have to keep her social and professional lives separate.

Judai said, "Makes sense to me."

"And all that dirt on your nose earlier?" The short boy kept on questioning her further.

"I am one with mother nature," She said in a manner of fact tone. "Go green, yo...!" In hindsight, she should've said she tripped and fell. Now she looked more suspicious.

"Just drop it man," Judai told him laxly, shuffling his elemental heroes into his deck. She inwardly breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that Judai didn't seem to notice anything out of the ordinary. "So you ever been a fan of superheroes Akira-chan?"

"At one point I was a dedicated viewer of the Ultraman show when I was little, that counts right?"

"You bet! He's an icon!" He exclaimed with bright eyes. "Are you familiar with any foreign comics though?"

"Sure, sure. I know loads about western comics. Like, Bionic Man? And Ironside?" She made those up off the top of her head, not wanting to disappoint his expectations.

Sho interrupted after checking the time, needing to address the elephant in the room, "About the bedding arrangements, where exactly is Akira-san going to sleep until she moves on to the Obelisk Blue Female Dorm?"

"Sorry if I wasn't clear about this earlier but, I'm going to be with you guys for awhile." Akira rubbed the nape of her neck. "It's complicated." Judai made a face of a ponderer's before Akira said discreetly, "I don't mind sleeping on the floor though, don't want to deprive you guys of a good night's sleep."

The two boys exchanged a look. "No way, pal! You can't. How could we call ourselves your friend if we did that?" Judai objected immediately. "Mine is the bottom bunk. Might smell a little bit, but it's all yours from here on in. Sho, mind lending me a pillow?"

"Of course!" Sho tossed one to him and turned the light switch off. A cute night light helped guide him back. He climbed to his bunk while Akira watched Judai try to get comfortable on the wooden flooring. Akira felt so guilty, but knew he wasn't changing his mind. She spilled right into bed, going with the flow. The room might not look accommodating, but at least the mattressing was fairly decent. Judai had turned to face the other side so Akira couldn't try to get his attention to dissuade him.

She pulled the blanket over her, trying to get comfortable while constantly checking on Judai. Maybe he enjoyed sleeping on the floor, and she was thinking too much.

Some time passed and Akira was still unable to sleep. She craved for curry now, too.

After around fifteen minutes of listening to Marufuji's quiet snoring, Akira couldn't hold in her guilt any longer. "Psst-! Hello? I don't mind sharing a bed," She whispered quietly, perhaps he was already asleep. "That can be bad for your back, you know?"

His head turned, which gave her a bit of a surprise. Judai must have been wide awake too for the past few minutes.

Judai looked so grateful, "You actually don't mind? Sweet...! You're the best, Akira-chan!" He didn't one bit hesitant about hopping into bed with her, catching her way off guard. If Akira didn't catch his scent from his pillow before, she sure did now. He slid into the bedsheets and actually hogged quite a bit of her side of the bed. She realized if she hadn't offered, the two of them might have been wide awake all night. One because of guilt, the other out of discomfort. Being up close, she noticed he wasn't a bad lookin' dude. This guy had the heart of a child though, no way he would try anything. Not intentionally, anyway.

Akira blushed as he rolled around in his sleep, closing the distance between them.

She couldn't help but feel alert after all this excitement; being suffocated one second, then share a bed with a boy for the first time on the next. Her eyelids grew heavy enough to lull her eventually. It seemed she had beaten the insomnia, at least for tonight.

 _Everyone told me 'you can't do it', and it took me to a pretty dark place in my life. And then, for the first time, I feel like someone really believes in me. I came here on a whim at first, but now, I feel I owe it to those people to turn my life around._

Akira felt the cross necklace wrapped around her fingers.

She had a lot on her mind, the conflicted feelings about whether or not she was going about this right. But for now, Akira rested her eyes on this peculiar, kind-hearted boy that she hoped will prove to be a genuine friend. The gods know she's going to need them, now more than ever.


End file.
